Modern wireless communication systems such as, for example, wireless local area network (WLAN) communication systems, may include at least one type of device, for example, a mobile unit (MU) and/or an access point (AP). The physical layer of WLAN components may operate in a frequency band assigned to WLAN devices, for example, one of the 2.4 Giga Hertz (GHz) or 5 GHz frequency bands. Thus, an MU or AP that operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band may not be able to communicate with a MU or an AP that operates in the 5 GHz frequency band.
For example, a personal computer (PC) which may be configured to operate as either an AP or MU for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands may include a dual band network interface card (NIC) able to transmit and receive communications only with one frequency band at a time. In one example, in which the PC may be configured to be an AP operating in both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, MUs operating in the 2.4 GHz band may not receive service from the AP when the AP is in communication with MUs operating in the 5 GHz frequency band, and vice-versa. In another example, there may be a gateway device incorporating a WLAN AP, for example operating in the 2.4 GHz band, with the PC configured to operate as an AP in the 5 GHz band. In this system configuration, devices operating in the 5 GHz band may not be able to communicate with the gateway and/or with devices operating in the 2.4 GHz band, and vice-versa.
Thus, there is a need to mitigate the above-described disadvantages of dual-band and/or multi-band operation of a wireless network.
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